Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;fall concerto&#39;

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fall Concerto’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences; and golden bronze ray florets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum ×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fall Concerto’.

[0002] The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new garden-typeChrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirableinflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good gardenperformance.

[0003] The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plantmutation of a proprietary induced mutation that originated by exposingunrooted cuttings of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Empire Concerto,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,827, to X-ray radiation in March,1997, in Fort Myers, Fla. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a populationof flowering plants of the irradiated selection in October, 1997 in acontrolled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plantwas based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floretcolor and good garden performance.

[0004] Asexual reproduction ofthe new cultivar by terminal cuttingstaken in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. since December,1997, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Chrysanthemum arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The cultivar Fall Concerto has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

[0006] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fall Concerto’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fall Concerto’ as a new anddistinct cultivar:

[0007] 1. Upright plant habit.

[0008] 2. Freely branching, dense, full plants.

[0009] 3. Uniform and freely flowering.

[0010] 4. Decorative-type inflorescences.

[0011] 5. Golden bronze-colored ray florets.

[0012] Compared to plants of the cultivar Empire Concerto, plants of thenew Chrysanthemum are more mounding, flower slightly later and differ inray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

[0013] The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance ofthe new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph at the top of thesheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of‘Fall Concerto’. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises acloseup view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Fall Concerto’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0014] In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., underconditions which approximate those generally used in commercial gardenChrysanthemum production. One rooted cutting was planted in a 15-cmcontainer in July, 2000 and plants were grown under natural seasonconditions. Plants were not pinched, that is, the terminal apex was notremoved to enhance branching. Measurements and numerical valuesrepresent averages for typical flowering plants.

[0015] Botanical Classfication: Chrysanthemum ×morifolium cultivar FallConcerto.

[0016] Commerical Classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.

[0017] Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of aproprietary Chrysanthemum ×morifolium induced mutation, not patented.

[0018] Propagation:

[0019]Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

[0020]Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.

[0021]Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.

[0022]Root description.—White, fine and fibrous.

[0023]Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

[0024] Plant Description:

[0025]Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous decorative-type gardenChrysanthemum. Inverted triangle; upright plant form. Stems initiallyupright, then slightly outwardly spreading giving a uniformly moundedappearance to the plant. Freely branching with about 9 lateral branchesper plant.

[0026]Plant height.—About 31 cm.

[0027]Plant diameter.—About 29 cm.

[0028]Lateral branches.—Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.Internode length: About 1.9 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture:Pubescent. Color: 144A, heavily overlain with anthocyanin, close to187A.

[0029]Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length: About4.6 cm. Width: About 3.7 cm. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate. Base:Attenuate to truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses parallel todivergent. Texture: Both surfaces, pubescent; veins prominent on lowersurface. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lowersurface: Close to 147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Maturefoliage lower surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147A to 147B.Venation lower surface: 147B. Petiole length: About 1.7 cm. Petiolediameter: About 2 mm. Petiole color, both surfaces: Close to 146C.

[0030] Inflorescence Description:

[0031]Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongatedoblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals abovefoliage, arising from leafaxils. Disk and ray florets arrangedacropetally on a capitulum. About 7 inflorescences per lateral; about 63inflorescences per plant.

[0032]Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants flowerin early October in the Northern Hemisphere and continue to flower forat least three weeks depending on weather conditions.

[0033]Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About 6 mm.Diameter: About 8 mm. Phyllary color: Close to 143A.

[0034]Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.4 cm. Depth (height): About1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 mm or less, inconspicuous. Receptaclediameter: About 5 mm.

[0035]Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong to somewhat spatulate.Length: About 2.6 cm. Corolla tube length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 7mm. Apex: Acute, emarginate or dentate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,glabrous, satiny. Orientation: Initially upright and incurved, thenperpendicular to the peduncle and concave. Number of ray florets perinflorescence: About 174. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:12A to 14A overlain with faint 45A to 46A; margins and towards apices,45A to 46A; overall tonality, more red than 163A. Opened inflorescence,upper surface: 12A overlain with very faint 45A to 46A; margins andtowards apices, 45A to 46A; overall tonality, slightly more red than12A; fading to 12A with little or no red at margins and towards apices.Opened inflorescence, lower surface: 12A to 12B.

[0036]Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, apex dentate. Length: About 6 mm.Width: Apex: About 2 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: Less than 20. Color: Immature: Apex: Close to 46A.Mid-section: 9A. Base: 155D. Mature: Apex: 9A. Mid-section: 154D. Base:155D.

[0037]Peduncle.—Aspect: Flexible, angled about 35° from the stem.Length: First peduncle: About 6.7 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 9 cm.Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 187A.

[0038]Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only.Anther color: 9A. Pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 15A. Gynoecium:Present on both ray and disc florets.

[0039]Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

[0040] Disease Resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not beenshown to be resistant to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums.

[0041] Garden Performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have beenobserved to be tolerant to rain and wind.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Fall Concerto’, as illustrated and described.